The invention relates generally to pluggable devices and, more particularly, to thermal management in pluggable devices and the display of device status.
Transceiver modules are used for making bi-directional connections to communication devices such as modems, network interfaces, and other electronic modules or electrical systems such as computer systems and the like. The Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) standard, which supports both fiber optic and copper based transceivers, includes specifications for transceivers that are reduced in size to achieve a higher port density. Typically, an SFP transceiver module is inserted into a complementary metal cage assembly that is mounted on a circuit board. In order to increase transceiver density on the circuit board, a stacked cage and connector system is sometimes used wherein the transceivers are arranged in rows and columns with each transceiver module plugged into a socket or receptacle in the cage.
The ongoing trend toward higher performance systems operating at higher signal speeds and higher port density has resulted in increased concerns for thermal management. Generally, the electronics commonly used to increase signal speeds also generate more heat. Multiplexing, which is commonly used in long distance transmissions, may also contribute to heat management issues, particularly in fiber optic systems including lasers that must be maintained at a certain operating temperature so that the laser operates at a particular frequency. In at least some applications, a heat sink is used to absorb and dissipate heat from the SFP module.
In some applications, a status indicator is provided to display the status of the SFP module or port. As the density of modules on circuit boards increases, it remains a challenge to accommodate the heat sink as well as the display of the port status in the space available on the circuit board.